Apparatus and method of providing point-of-sale surveillance and auditing of sale transactions of goods

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) surveillance system has the ability to show side-by-side pictures of the cash register readout and a visual record of the physical transaction, including the items purchased. Through picture-in-picture (PIP) technology, not only side-by-side register readout and visual record are available, but several side-by-side pairs of such pictures can be displayed on a single screen showing several points of sale simultaneously. Other embodiments include plural visual records per transaction, several cameras per POS, and kits for installing the surveillance system. A method of using the surveillance system is also disclosed. Each embodiment provides a permanent record. It is also contemplated that each embodiment would include a system for keeping track of inventory corrected by any discrepancies found in the transactions.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A point of sale (POS) surveillance system for comparing a cash register readout with a visual record of items purchased comprising: 
 a cash register which produces an electronic report of a sales transaction;    a camera which makes a visual image of goods which are subject to said sales transaction; and    a processor coupled to said camera and cash register, which processor creates a record in which said visual image of goods and electronic report are correlated with each other.    
     
     
         2 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one digital recorder for storing said record of said correlated visual image of goods and electronic report.  
     
     
         3 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 2  wherein said digital recorder stores a multiplicity of correlated visual images of goods and electronic reports corresponding to a corresponding multiplicity of sales transactions.  
     
     
         4 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  wherein said report from said cash register is in a video graphics array (VGA) format and further comprising a conversion device to convert said electronic report to a television compatible format.  
     
     
         5 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  further comprising a multi-picture display device in which said correlated visual image of goods and electronic report are displayed.  
     
     
         6 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 5  where said multi-picture display device comprises a picture in picture (PIP) output displaying said electronic report adjacent to said visual image.  
     
     
         7 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  comprising at least one additional camera.  
     
     
         8 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  comprising at least one additional cash register.  
     
     
         9 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of cash registers, a plurality of cameras, and wherein said processor simultaneously displays electronic reports from said plurality of cash registers and corresponding visual images of goods from said plurality of cameras, whereby a security agent at a remote location may simultaneously view in real time a corresponding plurality of sales transactions with corresponding visual records from a plurality of distinct points of sale.  
     
     
         10 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  further comprising means for creating a permanent record of said electronic report and said corresponding visual image of said goods correlated to said sales transaction.  
     
     
         11 . The POS surveillance system of  claim 1  further comprising an automatic inventory record system for keeping track of merchandise remaining in stock.  
     
     
         12 . A point of sale (POS) surveillance system kit for use with a computer and a cash register with VGA readout comprising: 
 a camera with visual readout;    a VGA-to-TV conversion device;    a cable for cash register readout adapted for connection to the conversion device;    a cable for camera output adapted for connection to the computer;    a cable for output of the conversion device and adapted for connection to the computer, and    wherein said computer is arranged and configured under software control to create a permanent record of the cash register readout and a corresponding said visual record for easy recall, said software also comprising picture in picture (PIP) capability and programming for processing the cash register and camera visual readout and for graphically displaying correlated images of said cash register readout and camera visual readout.    
     
     
         13 . The POS surveillance system kit of  claim 12  wherein said computer is further arranged and configured by software control to include an automatic inventory recording system for keeping track of merchandise remaining in stock.  
     
     
         14 . A point of sale (POS) surveillance system kit for a plurality of points of sale (POS), a corresponding plurality of cash registers with readout for use with a computer comprising: 
 (a) at least one camera per POS with a camera output,    (b) at least one VGA-to-TV conversion device per POS,    (c) a cable for each cash register readout to a respective said conversion device,    (d) a cable for each camera output adapted for connection to the computer,    (e) a cable for each output of a respective conversion device and adapted for connection to the computer, and    (f) wherein the computer is arranged and configured by software control to create a permanent record of each said cash register readout and a corresponding said visual record of goods which were sold at the POS corresponding to said cash register readout, said software further providing picture in picture (PIP) capability and programming for processing cash register readout and camera output from each POS and for displaying the cash register readout and camera output in a correlated visual format on a screen.    
     
     
         15 . The POS surveillance system kit of  claim 14  wherein the software also comprises an automatic inventory recording system for keeping track of merchandise remaining in stock.  
     
     
         16 . A method providing point of sale (POS) surveillance comprising: 
 (a) receiving and storing data from a cash register transaction readout during a purchase transaction;    (b) making, receiving, and storing a visual record by means of a camera positioned to capture a visual image of goods corresponding with the cash register transaction readout;    (c) processing and transferring the cash register transaction readout and visual image of goods corresponding with the cash register transaction readout to a remote location;    (d) displaying the cash register transaction readout and visual image of goods corresponding with the cash register transaction readout on a screen as adjacent images.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 comparing the cash register readout with the visual record to determine discrepancies between items paid for and items leaving the store with customers; and  
 selectively recalling stored data and stored records for evidence of discrepancies.  
 
     
     
         18 . A method of providing point of sale (POS) surveillance comprising the steps of: 
 generating a cash register electronic report of a sales transaction;    generating a visual image of goods which are subject to said sales transaction;    correlating said visual image of goods and electronic report with each other in a record; and    comparing said electronic report with a visual record of items purchased in said record to determine any discrepancy between goods actually sold and those reported in said electronic report.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the step of maintaining an inventory of goods based on said electronic reports in accordance with corrected said discrepancy between goods actually sold and those reported in said electronic report.  
     
     
         20 . The POS surveillance system kit of  claim 14  further comprising at least one input port unit for connection with the output cables of the at least one camera and the at least on conversion device.